Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer network, and to deploying software to computers in a network.
Description of the Related Technology
NOMAD® is an existing product available from 1E Limited and which enables efficient deployment of software packages to computers in subnets of a network, for example a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN). NOMAD together with PXE Everywhere allows the supply of Operating Systems. Other products are available from other suppliers to deploy software packages across a network.
NOMAD designates one or more computers in a subnet to act as a download master which obtains and stores packages for supply to other computers in the subnet. That avoids downloading across the network to each of the computers in each subnet reducing network traffic. A computer requiring a package initiates an election to determine which other computer can provide the software. A computer having the package is the download master and the requesting computer downloads the package from it.
NOMAD or another package supply arrangement may fail to find a package. One reason for failure is computers have power state control systems which automatically reduce power consumption by placing them in reduced power conditions (powered down). Those reduced power conditions may be variously referred to as “off”, “standby” “sleep”, “hibernate”, in which computers do not respond to communications from other computers. An example of such a power state control system is the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).
A computer requesting a package, using a package supply arrangement, from another computer which is powered down, is not able to download the package from the other computer even if the other computer has the package.